I heard an interesting story this morning on NPR regarding economists that attempt to predict economic performance (job creation, unemployment, economic growth) for a given month. As a whole, these economists are referred to as “the consensus” and their impact on markets can be significant. Organizations base much of their activities on what “the consensus” predicts. What’s ironic is that “the consensus” is wrong more often than not.
It’s easy to fall into “the consensus” way of thinking. A consensus exists when everyone agrees. For example, we can be united in our communications or actions related to a problem or solution. However, is it possible to have diversity in unity?
Given that “the consensus” is often wrong, we run the risk of pluralistic conformity, shared bias, and ignorance: in short, unreliable consensus. This is an important point when Latinos consider the diverse issues impacting our community.
Let’s keep in mind that consensus is not always what gives credibility to the solution.
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